Sat 7 May 2022, 15:00
Classic game of two halves closes National One campaign
Leeds Tykes showed some true Yorkshire grit to mount a monumental fightback and end the season four unbeaten, drawing 32 apiece with a robust Cinderford.
The Gloucestershire side started fast, quickly asserting their dominance at the set piece. Their first three tries all came from driving mauls, courtesy of Sam Baker, sandwiched between a brace from Nathan Taylor. The hooker ended the season as the League’s leading marksman. Mike Austin managed to convert the first of the three.
Lively full-back Austin converted his own try to give his side a commanding 5 – 24 lead as the hosts were reduced to 14 with Chris Bell receiving a yellow card. The Tykes’ only salvo came through James Magee, who cut inside his opposite number to catch the centre flat-footed and score.
As has become customary this season, the Tykes came out revitalised for the second half. They made some minor tweaks at the scrum which gave a platform for the backs to do the talking.
Andrew Lawson cut a fine line to spot a gap and dot down out wide on his final appearance for the Tykes. The utility back was emotional at the final whistle, telling the official website: “It’s bittersweet for me. I felt we almost had it there. To come back the way we did speaks volumes about the culture we’re building in the team. If we keep these guys together, something special can happen. Look what Caldy have done this year with a close group of boys.”
Paying tribute to the staff, Lawson added: “Everything is in place off the field for us to succeed and I can’t speak highly enough of the support we’ve had.”
Cinderford’s Austin added his side’s fifth on 57 minutes as the game started to open up. The visitors failed to deal with the restart as Magee ran in for a brace in the corner. Substitute Charlie Venables injected some pace and depth into the attack, finding the winger in support on his outside shoulder. Connor Lloyd landed the touchline conversion.
Mike Austin kicked a penalty to give Cinderford a buffer before the Leeds forwards mounted a late revival. Dom Hardman and Tobi (Adebowale) Ademakin rumbled over from close range to give the Tykes a sniff of victory. They worked the ball from deep and earned a penalty to get within range. Will Smith crashed over from the back of a maul, giving Venables the opportunity to steal the win. However, his conversion attempt drifted across the front of the posts meaning the game ended in a draw, bringing the curtain down on a memorable campaign for the club.
Speaking after the game, Jon Callard said: “We’ve achieved our objective for this season, which was to stay in the division. We’ve got spirit in abundance which stands us in good stead going forwards. Some boys will inevitably move on, which is the nature of professional sport, but the nucleus of the squad remains intact. Our average age is 23, so we have a young team with the ability to develop over the coming years.”
We would like to thank all stakeholders for their continued support over what was a difficult season and hope that you will be encouraged to continue the journey with us next season. The fixtures are due to be confirmed in early June, with pre-season set to begin in July. Watch out for announcements here and on our social media channels.
